Maria met kind en Johannes de Doper 1814 - 1859

Charles Auguste Schuler created this print, Maria met kind en Johannes de Doper, sometime in the mid-19th century. The medium here is key: lithography. This is a printmaking technique that allows for relatively quick reproduction, and its rise dovetailed with the growth of a mass market for images. The velvety blacks and subtle gradations of tone, achieved through skilled manipulation of the lithographic stone, give the image a rich, almost painterly quality. Look closely, and you can appreciate the way Schuler has translated the original painting into this new medium. Consider how the availability of such prints democratized art, bringing images of masterpieces like the Madonna della Sedia into homes and public spaces far beyond the elite circles who could access the original. This reproductive method helped disseminate cultural ideals, religious narratives, and aesthetic values to a wider audience, blurring the lines between high art and popular culture. It reminds us that the meaning of an artwork is always shaped by the means of its making and its circulation in society.